Pregnancy and Taking proper job precautions
If heavy physical labor isn’t part of your job, you may think that you can continue working with no worries while pregnant. This may be true. But several studies indicate that certain activities and working conditions can increase your risk of preterm labor and giving birth to a low-birth-weight baby. These activities and conditions include:
• Heavy, repetitive lifting
• Prolonged standing
• Heavy vibrations, such as from large machines
• Long, stressful commutes to and from work
Other job conditions also may be cause for concern. Frequent shift changes, for instance, may make it hard for you to get the proper rest. A hot working environment may decrease your stamina and ability to perform strenuous physical tasks. Activities that require agility and good balance may become more difficult later in pregnancy.
If any of these issues apply to you, you may need to review them with your health care provider and, possibly, your employer. Your health care provider will be able to tell you if you need to take any special precautions or modify your responsibilities. He or she can also make specific recommendations throughout the stages of pregnancy and, if needed, provide documents for your employer explaining any work restrictions you might need.
Other workplace issues that you may have concerns and questions about include the following.
Exposure to harmful substances
The good news: As long as you and the company you work for follow standard Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) practices regarding harmful substances, it’s unlikely that your fetus will be harmed.
To be safe, be aware of any substances you’re exposed to at work — especially if you’re in health care or manufacturing. Industries in the United States are required by federal law to have material safety data sheets on file that report hazardous substances in the workplace and to make this information available to employees.
Substances known to be harmful to a developing fetus include lead, mercury, ionizing radiation (X-rays) and drugs used to treat cancer. Chemicals such as anesthetic gases and organic solvents such as benzene are suspected to be harmful, although results of studies are inconclusive.
Tell your health care provider about any part of your job that exposes you to chemicals, drugs or radiation. Also tell your health care provider about any equipment you use to minimize your exposure. This may include gowns, gloves, masks and ventilation systems.
Your health care provider can use this information to determine whether a risk exists and, if so, what can be done to eliminate or reduce it. To help assess the risk, you might be asked to keep a diary of your workplace activities for a week or two.
Fortunately, it appears that environmental agents cause few birth defects. Of the small percentage of birth defects that can be traced to an environmental cause, most involve alcohol, tobacco or drugs used during pregnancy — not substances in the workplace. Nevertheless, avoid exposure to known or suspected harmful substances.
A high risk of infections
If you’re a health care professional, child-care worker, school teacher, veterinary worker or meat handler, you may be exposed to infections during the course of your job. When you’re pregnant, several infections are of great concern. They include German measles (rubella), chickenpox (varicella), fifth disease (parvovirus), cytomegalovirus (CMV), toxoplasmosis, herpes simplex, hepatitis B and AIDS.
You already may be immune to some of these diseases, either because you have had them or have been vaccinated against them. If you don’t have immunity, avoid situations in which you’re exposed to these diseases, and practice infection-control measures whenever possible.
If you work in a health care setting, wear gloves, wash your hands regularly and avoid eating on the job. If you work in child care, wash your hands after changing diapers, after helping children use the bathroom and before eating. Don’t kiss or share food with the children you supervise.
If you’re concerned about or at high risk of getting an infection at work, talk with your health care provider. After reviewing your health, immune status and job duties, he or she may advise you to take special precautions to avoid exposure.
Computers in the workplace
As computers have become more common in the workplace, concerns have arisen about the risks associated with sitting for hours in front of a computer screen — also known as a video display terminal (VDT). Computer screens do emit a small amount of nonionizing radiation, but so far studies indicate that this low level of radiation isn’t dangerous to a developing fetus.
If you’re still worried or you just want to be cautious, take a few simple precautions: Sit 22 to 28 inches — about an arm’s length — from your terminal and 3 to 4 feet from the back and sides of your co-workers’ terminals. At these distances, the amount of nonionizing radiation that reaches you drops off dramatically.
Another form of energy — called electromagnetic fields (EMFs) — also are produced by VDTs. This same energy comes from such sources as power lines and electric appliances. Some studies have suggested that being exposed to high levels of EMFs can pose health concerns. Yet research has shown that working with VDTs doesn’t expose workers to EMFs that are any higher than those they tend to experience from other sources. Better yet, recent studies haven’t shown that VDTs pose health risks for pregnant women — even if they work at a computer all day long.
Some computer workers complain of straining everything from their neck and back to their wrists and hands. However, many of these problems can be avoided or helped by taking regularly scheduled work breaks. In addition, use proper hand positioning and adjust office equipment for your height and comfort.
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Posted in Pregnancy
